Though I'm not a non-technical person, my area of expertise - or even
moderate knowledge - does not rest in the realm of shortwave radios.
However, I've always had an interest in pursuing the subject, and
towards that end my wife was kind enough to buy me a Grundig Yacht Boy
400PE for the holidays.

My problem is this. After reading the entire manual, reading the
Passport text and taking the plunge into the world of sw radio, I'm
having trouble getting reception for stations that I would expect to
get.

I live in the northeast United States (northern New England). My condo
is on the third (top) floor of a 15 unit building. My living room
window looks out onto a massive lake with no building in the way
through an 8 foot by 8 foot window. I have placed the receiver in this
window and even covered the window in an X pattern with the external
reel antenna.

Nevertheless, I can't get even a single station that Passport
recommends in the "First Tries: Ten Easy Catches" section. I've been
listening at night and the band that Grundig recommends as "Good all
night everywhere" in the 400PE manual - the 31m band - doesn't have a
single frequency that comes in for me. Neither does the 41m band -
also recommended as good all night in Northeastern America. The best
I've been able to manage are two frequencies in the 49m band - one of
which appears to be China Radio International on 5950. Neither of
these are terribly clear at that, and the best reception that I've been
able to get is with WWCR.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Being new to this, I don't know
what I should reasonably expect. Should I expect to be able to pick up
a variety of things with moderate clarity. I know that this is all
variable on many conditions, but realistically, what should I be
expecting here?

Thanks for your help.

On 13 Dec 2005 17:59:27 -0800, wrote:

Though I'm not a non-technical person, my area of expertise - or even
moderate knowledge - does not rest in the realm of shortwave radios.
However, I've always had an interest in pursuing the subject, and
towards that end my wife was kind enough to buy me a Grundig Yacht Boy
400PE for the holidays.

My problem is this. After reading the entire manual, reading the
Passport text and taking the plunge into the world of sw radio, I'm
having trouble getting reception for stations that I would expect to
get.

I live in the northeast United States (northern New England). My condo
is on the third (top) floor of a 15 unit building. My living room
window looks out onto a massive lake with no building in the way
through an 8 foot by 8 foot window. I have placed the receiver in this
window and even covered the window in an X pattern with the external
reel antenna.

Nevertheless, I can't get even a single station that Passport
recommends in the "First Tries: Ten Easy Catches" section. I've been
listening at night and the band that Grundig recommends as "Good all
night everywhere" in the 400PE manual - the 31m band - doesn't have a
single frequency that comes in for me. Neither does the 41m band -
also recommended as good all night in Northeastern America. The best
I've been able to manage are two frequencies in the 49m band - one of
which appears to be China Radio International on 5950. Neither of
these are terribly clear at that, and the best reception that I've been
able to get is with WWCR.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Being new to this, I don't know
what I should reasonably expect. Should I expect to be able to pick up
a variety of things with moderate clarity. I know that this is all
variable on many conditions, but realistically, what should I be
expecting here?

Thanks for your help.

Sounds like the radio's broken.

Sounds like your condo is built out of concrete and steel. Do you have
a balcony? If so try string the reel antenna outside on the balcony.
Another option is to run a wire out a window hanging down with a small
weight on the end that will not cause any damage to the building, A
small rubber ball works well for this. Attaching a wire from the
antenna to the window frame itself has helped me in the past. Just
experiment and see what works best in your situation. It will take
some time to get an understanding on what to expect. Just try
experimenting and have fun with it. If you need help we will be around.

On 13 Dec 2005 17:59:27 -0800, wrote:

Grundig Yacht Boy
400PE

Probably something simple. Is your dx/local switch set on dx, as it
should be?

Maybe a piece of wire, about 20 feet long, thrown out the window might
work better than the whip antenna.

I'd re-read the instructions and make sure all the switches are set
correctly.

That said, no station is going to come in, all the time, on a given
frequency. Tune around within the 31 meter or other bands. Plenty of
stations should pop up.

bob
k5qwg

Propagation conditions . . .


- not quite stormy.. not great either . .

http://www.n3kl.org/sun/noaa.html

5.975,
7.415

6.166

12.095

should all be receptable at some point..

try the 20 feet random wire on the antenna, check DX / Local switch..

also try 1170 WWVA, Wheeling West Virginia.. ( Just as a test)

Like someone said,the radio could be defective.You should be able to
pick up a lot of shortwave radio stations.
cuhulin

Peter,

You might try putting some batteries into that Yacht Boy and taking it
outside for a listen one evening...someplace away from power lines and
potential sources of noise. See what kinda difference that makes.

Many of our modern conveniences create a lot of noise that can
effectively bury many a shortwave signal. Granted, even with excessive
noise generating sources (e.g. computers, flourescent lights, etc.) in
your apartment, you'd expect that a bit more than just WWCR and CRI
would get through, if you're sitting by your window.

junius


wrote:
Though I'm not a non-technical person, my area of expertise - or even
moderate knowledge - does not rest in the realm of shortwave radios.
However, I've always had an interest in pursuing the subject, and
towards that end my wife was kind enough to buy me a Grundig Yacht Boy
400PE for the holidays.

My problem is this. After reading the entire manual, reading the
Passport text and taking the plunge into the world of sw radio, I'm
having trouble getting reception for stations that I would expect to
get.

I live in the northeast United States (northern New England). My condo
is on the third (top) floor of a 15 unit building. My living room
window looks out onto a massive lake with no building in the way
through an 8 foot by 8 foot window. I have placed the receiver in this
window and even covered the window in an X pattern with the external
reel antenna.

Nevertheless, I can't get even a single station that Passport
recommends in the "First Tries: Ten Easy Catches" section. I've been
listening at night and the band that Grundig recommends as "Good all
night everywhere" in the 400PE manual - the 31m band - doesn't have a
single frequency that comes in for me. Neither does the 41m band -
also recommended as good all night in Northeastern America. The best
I've been able to manage are two frequencies in the 49m band - one of
which appears to be China Radio International on 5950. Neither of
these are terribly clear at that, and the best reception that I've been
able to get is with WWCR.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Being new to this, I don't know
what I should reasonably expect. Should I expect to be able to pick up
a variety of things with moderate clarity. I know that this is all
variable on many conditions, but realistically, what should I be
expecting here?

Thanks for your help.

wrote:

Nevertheless, I can't get even a single station that Passport
recommends in the "First Tries: Ten Easy Catches" section. I've been
listening at night and the band that Grundig recommends as "Good all
night everywhere" in the 400PE manual - the 31m band - doesn't have a
single frequency that comes in for me. Neither does the 41m band -
also recommended as good all night in Northeastern America. The best
I've been able to manage are two frequencies in the 49m band - one of
which appears to be China Radio International on 5950. Neither of
these are terribly clear at that, and the best reception that I've
been able to get is with WWCR.

Actually 31 meter band reception here in NE is not that great lately. Try
the 49 and 41 meter bands first.

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html

wrote:
Though I'm not a non-technical person, my area of expertise - or even
moderate knowledge - does not rest in the realm of shortwave radios.
However, I've always had an interest in pursuing the subject, and
towards that end my wife was kind enough to buy me a Grundig Yacht Boy
400PE for the holidays.

My problem is this. After reading the entire manual, reading the
Passport text and taking the plunge into the world of sw radio, I'm
having trouble getting reception for stations that I would expect to
get.

I live in the northeast United States (northern New England). My condo
is on the third (top) floor of a 15 unit building. My living room
window looks out onto a massive lake with no building in the way
through an 8 foot by 8 foot window. I have placed the receiver in this
window and even covered the window in an X pattern with the external
reel antenna.

Nevertheless, I can't get even a single station that Passport
recommends in the "First Tries: Ten Easy Catches" section. I've been
listening at night and the band that Grundig recommends as "Good all
night everywhere" in the 400PE manual - the 31m band - doesn't have a
single frequency that comes in for me. Neither does the 41m band -
also recommended as good all night in Northeastern America. The best
I've been able to manage are two frequencies in the 49m band - one of
which appears to be China Radio International on 5950. Neither of
these are terribly clear at that, and the best reception that I've been
able to get is with WWCR.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Being new to this, I don't know
what I should reasonably expect. Should I expect to be able to pick up
a variety of things with moderate clarity. I know that this is all
variable on many conditions, but realistically, what should I be
expecting here?

Thanks for your help.



I had a similar experience in my apartment in downtown Chicago. I was
on the 52nd floor, facing west. Hot bands, clear skies, no matter.
Nothing, on a Grunding SAT 500. Out in the weeds, stations boomed in
like they were in my back pocket. At home, nothing.

Noise levels weren't much different, or so it appeared, in either
location.

Further investigation revealed a couple of things. One was that my
radio was being overloaded with the FM's and TV signals downtown.
Rectification within buildings, and cross modulation of signals were
creating a near uniform blanket of across most of the SW bands. During
maintenance periods, this was not the case. Even so, there was still
too much noise for decent reception.

In the building were noise sources by the hundreds. Personal
computers with large, unshielded CRT monitors, 27" Trinitrons in every
apartment. Cable. Seems like every apartment had at LEAST two SCR
dimmers. All overlayed on each other. It sounded just like a slightly
elevated level of background, thermal and atmospheric noise. And then
there was the general shielding provided by the steel infrastructure of
the building, and the reinforced concrete floors.

To correct the problem, I asked and was granted permission to run a
dipole on the roof above the 57 th floor, and ran a heavily shielded
coax transmission line down a window channel to my apartment. It didn't
show, so they didn't care. Then a ground lead to the water system, which
was all copper to the feed line below ground. Not optimum, but it
worked. Not only for the Sat 500, but for the S-40B sitting on the
bishop's table in the living room.

Very likely, what you've got is not the huge RF overload that I had,
although, you may want to check that out, but a combination of
shielding, due to the construction of the building, and many high noise
sources from your own, and your neighbors' apartments.

Take your radio outdoors, away from the buildings. Into a park would
be a good test. See if you hear anything there. If so the problem is not
your radio, but your listening environment.


p

Pete...

You said you live in a condo over looking a huge lake. Do you have a boat or
access to one? If so take that radio out in the boat and test it out on the
whip antenna and if the boat is big enough string up your reel antenna. If
it's a sailboat you could hook a jumper from the radio antenna or antenna
jack to the mast or a stay. Watch out for static producing conditions.

If you have a balcony with a metal railing, try hooking a jumper to that. If
you have access to the roof, a longwire should do wonders.

In dealing with radios for many years, the radio is part of the equation but
the antenna is a huge part of it... probably the biggest part of it,
assuming you have a decent radio, which you do. I wouldn't rely on that
telescopic whip unless it's your only choice.

Sometimes learning and experimenting in the beginning can be very
rewarding.

Please keep us informed on your progress.